Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-02-18
capsasn rora,s statement.

That enterprising contempory, the
Bben;eg Expres, gets the following
Statement Of the sinking of the kenne.
bee:
ssThe Kennebec was built in 1888, and
80 launched from William Rodgers 4
Co.ss ship yard. at Bath, Me-, in Oocto.
~ Of that year. She was accounted the
prot&iest and best found vessel launched
1rom Batb, was clipper-built from the
lnHest models for speed and strength in
vassels. and fitted her aft as a
hcns for my family. We left Liv-
erpcol, Englsnd, for San Pedro,
Aeptembsr 5h, and getting down the
Ckannel our rudder-hcad was sprung.
We then headed for Gibraltar, made
1hnt port, repaired the rudder and set
nil again for our destination. Burning
lhs loss Of q seaman off the Horn, We
hnd IN uueventful and very fair passage
- port, sighting this harbor and coming
- an anchor on the llth of January.
We had about 1850 tons of coal for the
nilroad company. and the ships meas.
urement WAS 2024 tons burthen. F.
Chapman, Of San Francisco, was our
eGert on this coast and was to handle
our business.
ssShe cost, when found for sea, just
1lo6. 600. Her owners were the Augusta
Hank. OF Augusta, Me-. myself and
Baltimore parties, and the Boston Marine
lnsurance Company held the insurance
- her, tho amount of which don't
know. bat / think it about enough to
half cover her loss; possibly little more
than that. J. w. Elwell, Of New York,
owned sixteenth interest in the ship,
too. Ly the way.
81 was not aboard the ship when she
YES wrecked, but here is my report Of
The disaster, which / will forward to-
norrow. 1t il made by my first officer,
James Doyle, who stayed by the ship,
N the rigging. until rescued this morn
ing. That best tells what he and have
- say Of the wreck"
s'SHIP KENNEBEC,
ssLying in San Pedro Roads.
ssThe l4th day of February, 1887,
eomss in with light southeast winds, sky
overcast. At A. M, strong breeze,
With rainy showers. At noon, breezirg
On to moderate gales and high seas get
1i,g up. Let 60 second anchor and
thirty fathoms Of chain, with sixty fathom
starboard chain of FIRST anchor. At 8
=. n, strong gales, with hard rain
squalls.
Paid out to ninety fathoms on star
board chain and sixty fathoms on chain
= port. At 8 P. NJ. still strong gale
With high sea. Let go with stream or
kedRe-anchor with forty fathoms Of
1ourfeen. inch hawser. At 9 P. M, heavy
gales with very high sea running. Ship
pitching bows under. Found her to
stick heavy aft. Sounded the pumps
and got six inches of water in the pump
veil. Soon after this the ship falling off
The sea struck very hard again. Sound.
ed pumps again and found eighteen
inches in the pump well. Started both
pumps, the ship having six and half
fathons Of water under her at the time.
At 10 r. M. found the ship filing with
water aud striking heavily; the tide ebb-
iag atthe time.
"At LIP. M. found the ship sinking to
the anchors. At l:30 P. M. the ship
Was going over on her side and we cut
away the fore and maintopmast back
stays. Foretopmast and maintop gal
liant mast then went by the board.
Then put all hands in the fore rigging
70 try aud save their lives, the sea
making . clean breach fore and aft the
ship, where she had sunk in five fathoms
Of water, February Is. 1887, at 5 o'clock
A. n"
The vessel lays at the bottom of the
harbor, in six to eight fathoms of water,
It point about 2400 feet east of Dead
mans Island and about two and one-half
miles from The pier head, the bearings
from that point being little east of
southcast. She is not in the way of
passing vessels, and the idea tn at she
was totally and irredeemably wrecked
and ruined was made fact eterday
noon, when coal dust from her bottom
could be seen floating about on the
Watfr's surface.